My Life is a Cliché
by Endings Matter Most
Summary: I was the best man, but the big picture showed that Sora was actually the better man than I was. And there was nothing I could do to stop it. I am the hidden cliché. sora/kairi, riku/kairi; three-shot
1. Part One

**My Life is a Cliché**

My Life is a Cliché

I was bored and it was kind of late, so I figured if I wrote something, I could possibly fall asleep. So… this was born.

* * *

He was the hero. I get that.

She was the princess. No surprise there.

I am the friend turned villain turned friend again. Confusing… but understandable.

He was supposed to get the glory, get the girl, and get all the friends and loyalty from even people he barely knows. And guess what… he got all that.

He got _everything_ because that's just what happens when you're the hero. Kairi and him was a done deal. It always had been. Sora getting the Keyblade was… an accident. But isn't that how it's supposed to happen?

He was my best friend. He was younger than he was, and inferior in every way, shape, and form. I was stronger, tougher, a better fighter, and even though he denies this in front of me, I am better looking.

We liked the same girl, and even though sometimes it seemed like Kairi liked me better, they would always end up alone and have these precious moments. I was always the most confident, and had every reason to be, because it seemed like my life was ending up to be the biggest cliché in the universe.

Too bad I wasn't born a sidekick.

There are two types of clichés. The one where the hero is the jock, who used to be a jerk, but a girl ends up coming along and changing him into a better person. Skipping all the boring details like how she was unpopular, he was the big shot in school, they meet, secretly have a thing, get into a fight, then he chases after her in the end, kisses her in front of everyone and let's all know that he loves her. Yadda… yadda… ya.

The second type is where the less popular guy, sidekick or just downright loser, meets either really pretty new girl, or the most popular girl in school, and he falls in love with her. The boring details usually vary, depending on which girl he meets, but usually it's somewhere in between. The new girl arrives, and she's really pretty and all the guys want her, so she is instantly popular. The loser boy showed some kindness to her when she was new and unpopular, so she still sees him in the halls and passes by giving him looks blah, blah. Either way, they end up together in the end.

Lucky for Sora, my life took a turn for the second cliché. It was different from the movies, but that's because this is real life.

I was supposed to get the Keyblade, but I screwed it up by choosing the darkness and whatnot. So it went to Sora, the runner up. He scavenged the worlds looking for the girl that he loves, and me, his best friend. He ends up saving both of us. Small, boring details really have no part. Especially that… what some would call… minor detail, of me being completely in love with her as well.

His girl is sent home, and he's off again on a quest to find me because in an act of heroism to redeem myself, I am shut up in the darkness. So, being the hero, he has to go and find me, because if he doesn't, the whole cliché is messed up.

So, he ends up saving the worlds… again… along with me and Kairi and the rest of my friends. He returns Kairi's lucky charm to her, because he loves her and that's the item that kept him going throughout his journey. Plus… he promised.

I loved her more… I know I did. I did everything I did for her. Sora did it because destiny called upon him… Kairi was a slight afterthought. She was my first thought. She always had been.

But that didn't matter. Cliché won in the end… it always did. It's all quite a simple thing. It's predictable and easy. No surprises.

What I don't understand is why I was so shocked when Kairi held that big rock up in my face. I was practically knocked over with surprise.

"You're getting married?" I asked, still unable to close my mouth.

Kairi giggled. "Yep!" she said, bouncing up and down. "Sora proposed last night! He didn't tell you?"

I shook my head, taking her hand back and scanning the diamond. "I… I don't know what to say." I admitted.

She smiled, throwing her arms around my neck. Slowly, I returned the huge, finally shaking my astonishment away. "Riku, I'm just…" she paused. "Happy! I'm so happy!"

Cliché, cliché, cliché.

I nodded, burying my head into her shoulder. Kairi was getting married. She was finally tying the knot with Sora… finally making it completely official.

Sora was grinning that stupid goofy grin when I confronted him about not talking to me first.

"You two are my best friends, Sora!" I frowned. "And you didn't even talk to me about proposing to her?"

Sora shrugged. "I was going to!" He retorted. "Last night just seemed… perfect."

"Tonight could've been perfect!" I argued. "After you told me about it! I looked like an idiot just staring at that stupid ring when Kairi showed me!"

"Riku, you look like an idiot 24/7." Sora smirked. "Anyways, it's too late now, no use in dealing with the past. I have a question for you!"

"No, Sora." I shook my head. "I won't marry you unless you've talked to Kairi first; after all she is our best friend and has a right to know before you ask."

Sora stared at me for a moment. "So… you're gay?"

"No!" I exclaimed. "I was… I mean… I was trying to prove a point!" Sora tilted his head, smiling. "Never mind!" I huffed.

"Okay… anyways…" Sora said, scratching the back of his neck. "Do you want to be my best man?"

I raised my eyebrow. "Have you talked to Kairi?" I asked.

"Of course!" Sora laughed. "She was pushing to try and get you to be her Maid of Honor… and I guess… you'd prefer that role… since your gay and all…"

"Sora!" I exclaimed.

"I'm kidding, Riku." Sora grinned. "But seriously, will you be my best man?"

I grinned. "Of course."

There I was. It was absolutely official. I was the best man, but the big picture showed that Sora was actually the better man than I was. And there was nothing I could do to stop it.

So, even though I'm not the hero, and getting all the great things that come with it, my life is still a cliché. It's the hidden story behind the second cliché. Cocky jock turned sidekick, turned best friend to loser boy who is turned hero. I am the cocky jock of the second cliché, and everything that happens to me is the outcome of Sora's cliché life, which means my outcome becomes predictable and easy.

I am the hidden cliché.

* * *

Kairi whined a lot about how she wanted her best friend to be her Maid of Honor. Sora argued that his best friend—her best friend—was being _his_ Best Man. It was only fair since I was not gay, and I was a boy. I should be Best _Man_, not _Maid_ of Honor.

"But who is going to be my Maid of Honor?" she continued to complain. "I would ask Selphie… but she isn't my _best_ friend! And I am _not_ going to settle."

"Kairi, Kairi, Kairi." Sora sighed, shaking his head. "Selphie is your best _girl_friend. Riku is a boy. I get the boy, and you get the girl. It's only fair."

Kairi huffed. "Maid of Honor is about a _best_ friend. It doesn't have gender specifications, Sora. It's just usually, girls are better friends with girls and boys are better friends with boys. But I just so happen to be the opposite. I am best friend with a boy." She pointed to me, where I was sitting exasperated in my seat.

Sora rolled his eyes. "It would be _weird_!"

She narrowed her eyes at her fiancée, then turned to me and smiled, the same way that she smiled when she wanted something and knew how to get it. "Riku?" she asked sweetly, moving to me. She stood over me, looking down at where I was sitting. "Which would _you_ rather be?" she asked, sitting in my lap and twirling a piece of my hair around in her hand. Sora's mouth dropped. "_His_ best man? Or _my_ Maid of Honor?"

Sora was at a loss for words. He stood there gaping at Kairi and me. I was frozen in my chair, looking at Kairi with confusion and shock. She was good. She was really good. Then again, she always knew how to play on my biggest weakness… Her.

"Uh…" I started, but quickly shut my mouth as she adjusted herself on top of me into a more comfortable position.

"Hm?" she asked, raising her eyebrows, still playing with my hair.

"I… already agreed to be… Sora's Best Man…" I said, the words coming slowly.

Kairi nodded with a mischievous smile. "Uh huh, I know. I'm asking if you want to change your mind." She was still toying with my hair, occasionally running her hands down through it, combing it. Her fingertips brushed the side of my neck as she did so. I almost shuddered at the contact.

Finally, Sora came to his senses and marched over, scooping Kairi up off my lap. He dumped her in her chair, and I sat up straighter, shaking my head to clear my mind.

"Kairi, what the hell?" he asked throwing his hands in the air.

She giggled. "I just wanted to know what _Riku_ wanted to do."

Sora huffed. "That was _so_ unfair." He complained. "I can't sit on Riku's lap and expect him to do my bidding."

He moved to me, and plopped down into my lap. Immediately, I shoved him off and into the floor. Sora frowned, rubbing his butt. "See?" he concluded, pointing at me.

Kairi laughed. "Alright fine." She sighed, folding her arms across her chest. "We'll play fair." She turned to me. "Riku… what do you want?"

Was I just being paranoid, or was there a double question in that single one?

I sighed. "I already agreed to be Sora's Best Man." I told her.

"Ha!" Sora grinned triumphantly.

"But," I continued, holding up a finger. "I will be your Maid of Honor too, if that's what you want."

Sora began to sputter incoherent words and Kairi smiled.

"I'm just saying that I'll do both." I interrupted Sora's babbling. "I'm a good multi-tasker."

Sora huffed, crossing his arms and sitting back in his seat. "Fine." He agreed.

"I think that's a great idea!" Kairi exclaimed, running to me and throwing her harms around my neck. "Thank you, Riku!"

I smiled and hugged her back. "After all… it is your wedding day. It's supposed to be the happiest day of your life."

* * *

I've been writing this. It's really long… so it's now a three-shot!

Hope you enjoyed part one!

Katie


	2. Part Two

**My Life is a Cliché**

My Life is a Cliché

Okie-dokie. Here's the second part. I want to have the third one done really soon. I stopped and decided it would be a three-shot just as I started writing the part of the story that would be the third part.

Anyways, I kind of actually like this. I'm proud of it. I'm usually never happy with what I write, but I do like this piece. I hope you guys do too!

* * *

Sora wasn't allowed to do much of the planning. Kairi had made sure to tell him that she and her Maid of Honor would take care of everything.

Now, let's get this straight. I know absolutely nothing about weddings. It's not my thing. I don't see the point in a big show. And _I_ made sure to tell Kairi _that_. I just wanted her to know that if she wanted someone who knew more about weddings and could help her more, I would not mind being bumped out of Maid of Honor.

Kairi smiled. "Riku, it's okay." She said. "I don't want a big flashy wedding. I want something simple. You just make sure that I don't turn into brideszilla or something."

I laughed. "Okay. Just as long as you know what you're getting yourself into. It's just like Sora said. I'm a boy, and I'm a straight boy. I probably won't be much fashion help."

"It's really okay, Riku." She rested her hand on my arm. "The wedding is in about three months. I already have to caterer lined up…"

"Who?" I asked.

She giggled. "Aerith. Have you ever a piece of her cake?" she asked. "It is heaven."

I shrugged. "Okay. Well that was easy." I said. "Now what else do we have to do."

"The menu." Kairi said.

"The menu?" I asked skeptically. "But all Aerith needs to cook is the cake."

Kairi rolled her eyes. "You really don't know anything about weddings, do you?"

So we spent the next hour choosing what kind of meal was going to be served at the after party… thing. I don't remember if there was a specific name for it or not. And when I say _we_, I mean Kairi bounced around ideas, I jotted them down and then she chose her favorites. I didn't really do anything but write.

A few days later, it was time to go dress shopping. Great. If there was one thing that I hated the most in the entire universe, it would be shopping, especially shopping for a dress… especially shopping for a dress with _Kairi_.

To explain… it's not that I don't like being with Kairi. She's one of my best friends… if one wants to make it sound as if I'm not completely smitten with her. It's just… she take for_ever_ to shop. She likes to try on every single outfit that she sees and somewhat likes. The only things she doesn't try on are things she deems unattractive.

How do I know this? Because she has dragged me with her to go shopping on more than one occasion, such as to pick out an outfit for her first date with Sora or to buy a dress for a school dance. And I have never said no when she asked me… because I can't say no to her.

We walked into the store and all the white immediately blinded me. "I should have brought sunglasses." I muttered to Kairi."

She giggles. "You'll get used to it." She said. "We're going to be in here for a while."

As she began to look around, I followed her. "Why?" I asked. "Aren't we just going to pick out your dress and get out of here? What else is there to do?"

Kairi paused, her hand on a dress, and turned to look back at me. "You're kidding right?" she asked. That confused me. I shook my head. "Geez… you weren't kidding when you said you didn't know anything about weddings."

"Nope." I agreed.

She sighed. "Well, there is a bunch of stuff to do. First, I have to pick out the dress." She smiled. "Which you know might take a while. Second, we have to fit it, make sure it's my size then we have give instructions on where to alter it. Third, I have to decide if there are any minor changes I'd like made to the dress… such as more sequins or less sequins."

"What the hell are sequins?" I asked, scanning the dresses.

Kairi laughed. "Those sparkly things… like glitter."

I nodded, seeing some on the bottom of one of the dresses. "Oh… well why do we have to alter it?" he asked. "I mean… can't we just get like… a different size?"

She rolled her eyes, pulling one of the dresses out. "No, Riku. They come in one size in this store especially. These are all handmade, and it takes _forever_ to make one of these, so why would they make more than one of each dress? They make one, and then we are expected to alter it to fit our body." She put the dress back and smiled at me. "Girls really just have everything worse off than boys."

I smirked. "Maybe you should get a sex change."

"I'm sure Sora would love that." She nodded with a chuckle.

I shrugged. "I dunno. He might like you even better. I'm still a bit iffy about him."

Kairi playfully slapped me on the chest and turned to look at more dresses.

Eventually, we both figured out I wasn't going to be any help, so I sat down in one of the chairs by the dressing rooms and watched as women and their Maid of Honors went in and out, trying to decide if they like the dress, and whether or not their breasts look suitable in it.

I got a couple weird glances while I sat in there. I suppose women didn't really expect to see a _man_ in a wedding dress store, but eventually they all started asking me questions, to get a man's point of view. I saw Kairi in a corner of the store, looking at more dresses. She met my eye and giggled. I glared jokingly at her.

"Excuse me," one woman asked as she sat down on the couch that was next to my armchair. "Just out of curiosity, why are you here?"

I grinned. "Just helping her pick out her dress for the big day." I responded.

She smiled and held out her hand. "I'm Meg." She told me.

I shook her hand. "Riku." I replied.

Kairi took that moment to walk up and rest a hand on my shoulder. "I'm going to go put this on." She said. "I'll come show you when I'm finished." Her eyes found Meg. "Hi, I'm Kairi." She greeted her.

"Meg." She said with a smile. "And you know its bad luck for a husband to see his wife in her dress before the wedding."

Kairi laughed. "He's…"

"Not superstitious." I broke in. It was as if Meg didn't think I saw what she was trying to do. She was trying to see if I was engaged. If I wasn't, it would give her to okay to try to make movie. There was no way I'd let that happen, especially not with Kairi right here. I put my arm around Kairi waist from where I was sitting. "If it is supposed to work, it's going to work regardless."

Meg's face fell a bit. "Ah," she said, recovering quickly. "Well I'm here helping my girlfriend pick hers out." She looked up at Kairi. "Why didn't you bring your Maid of Honor?"

And to my surprise, Kairi didn't out me. She smiled and said, "She's sick today and I really just wanted to get it done, so she told me to go ahead." She glanced down at me. "And I didn't want to go alone. Don't worry, I know all about the little rule about the dress, but I mean… we're getting married, so we must be doing something right."

I smiled and let go of her waist. "Go try that on." I told her, nudging her to the dressing room right across from where I was sitting.

With one last smile at me, Kairi turned her back on me, walking swiftly to the dressing room. I turned and smiled at Meg. "I'm very lucky." I told her.

Meg nodded. "So is she." She replied. "You two make an adorable couple. She's very pretty, and you're very good looking yourself."

I suppose I will never know the mind of a true Maid of Honor, but I think they might be very desperate. They are around love all the time because of helping with the wedding, and they get to watch their best friend get married. Whether they are single or not, it must really suck, because they aren't engaged to the person they are in a relationship with, and their best friend is. And I bet it sucks even more if they were single. My guess was that Meg was single, because she thought I was engaged and was still making a move.

I didn't really know what to say to that, so I just smiled awkwardly. "Thanks, I guess." I replied.

"I think it's really sweet how much you love your fiancée." She continued.

My eyebrows drew together. "What?" I asked. I didn't remember ever saying 'I love you' to Kairi, or expressing any sort of loving behavior except when I wrapped my arm around her waist.

"I just saw the way you looked at her." Meg smiled. "I cold tell it in your eyes."

That one little statement worried me tremendously. She could see it, and Kairi was even better at reading me. Did she know?

Meg let out a light laugh. "It makes me happy to see a man look at his fiancée that way. I never see Linda's fiancée looking at her like that." Then she smiled, looking down at her hands. "Lucky for me, my boyfriend looks at _me_ that way."

Instantly I felt guilty. She wasn't single, and she wasn't desperate. She was in a relationship, and with the way her cheeks turned a light shade of pink, I could tell she was in a happy, healthy relationship.

I smiled, not knowing what to say.

"Meg?" a blonde woman called from the front of the store.

Meg glanced over her shoulder and stood. She looked back at me. "Listen, it was really nice meeting you. Maybe I'll see you around. And thank you."

I tilted my head to the side. "For what?" I asked.

"For loving her the right way." She answered. Well if that wasn't the most cliché I've ever heard come out of a person's mouth.

Still, I couldn't help but smile. "It was nice meeting you, Meg." I replied. "Have a good time at your friend's wedding, send them my best wishes."

She nodded, and with one last final smile, she walked out of the store with her friend. I heard them say a couple things, and Meg said something about me, probably telling her all about the way I loved my "fiancée" right.

About a minute later, Kairi came out of the dressing room, shyly looking at me. It was positively the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Normally, I'm very good at hiding the things I'm thinking, or my feelings, but this time I couldn't help it. My mouth dropped open. I stood up slowly.

"Is it that bad?" she asked me.

"Bad?" I asked astonished that she didn't see her own beauty. "Come here." I held out my hand for her to take and lead her over to the three-sided mirror. "Does that look bad to you?" I asked, placing her in front of it.

Kairi examined herself. "It'll have to be taken in a bit around me chest." She said, turning to the side. "And I think it could be a bit longer… and I don't really like strapless dresses…" she said, resting her hands on her shoulders. "I feel somewhat naked without them… I think I'll go try to find another."

I shook my head, holding her in place by her shoulders. "Will you please look at yourself, Kai?" I pleaded. "Do you not see how stunning you are?"

A light blush spread across her cheeks. "Riku… the dress isn't right…" She tried to move away again, but I held her in place.

"Get the dress." I told her.

Kairi bit her lip. "I dunno… I really feel like I should try on the dress."

Again, I shook my head. "No. This one is perfect, I know it." I smirked. "After all, I am your Maid of Honor."

She drew her eyebrows together and examined herself again. She took a hair tie off her wrist, and drew her hair up into a ponytail, turning and examining herself again. I stepped back a few paces and watched her as she tried a few different hairstyles.

Finally, she abandoned the hair tie, placing it back on her wrist. She shook her hair out, combing it and trying to add more volume to it, then finally, she turned to him, and held her hands out to her side. "How do I look?" she asked.

"You're perfect." I replied quietly, almost a whisper. It slipped out before I could stop it, but there was no taking it back. I meant to say 'You _look_ perfect' but apparently that's not what my mind wanted to say… obviously.

This time there was no hiding it. A full blush spread across Kairi's cheeks. "So… you really think there is no other dress in this entire store that will look better?"

I smiled and went to her, placing a strand of hair back in line with the others. "Why fix it if it isn't broke?" I asked.

She looked away from me down at the ground. "All right… I trust you." She agreed.

Then we spent the next hour talking to some woman in the store about where Kairi should get the dress altered. I chimed in once or twice, saying how I think that something should stay the same. The woman would give me a strange look, Kairi would examine it for herself, and then say, "Well, I think I'll agree with my Maid of Honor on this one."

When we walked out of the store, Kairi sighed. "I feel kind of empty walking out of a clothing place and only having tried on one outfit."

I laughed. "I can't tell you how much of a relief it was that you agreed with me. I know that if you had decided not to get that one, we would have spent five hours in there."

Kairi grinned. "Is that the only reason you wanted me to get the dress?" she asked.

I threw my arm casually around her shoulder as we walked to my car. "No way." I answered. "You looked beautiful in that. Deny it if you aren't completely in love with that dress."

She smiled and said nothing. "That's what I thought." I grinned.

For the next few months, I spent more time with Kairi than her fiancée did. When I mentioned that to her, she just shook her head and said, "Riku, that's the way it's supposed to be." Then continued doing whatever she'd been doing at the time.

I guess if I was a girl, I might have understood the statement better.

We did all sorts of things over that period of time. Things like, save the dates, flowers, the seating arrangements, cake testing, planning what the rings looked like, the reception planning, and plates, just to name a few. The plates is what really got me confused. Why would one need to pick out what _plates_ they were using? Either way, they were going to get dirty and have to be cleaned then never used again. It seemed a little over the top to me.

The biggest thing we had to do was book the place to actually have the wedding. Kairi wanted to have it on our island, right in front of the big Paopou tree that we used to sit on all the time. So that's where we were having it. I told Kairi it might be a little harder to decide where the guests would be sitting, but with Kairi, when there was a will, there was a way; therefore she had the island closed off. They were going to build a temporary platform around the miniature island that would go halfway around it. It would be attached to the bridge, which would serve as the isle that Kairi would walk down.

Talk about over the top…

One day Kairi came up to me, a look of dread on her face. "I have to write my vows." She told me.

I lifted an eyebrow. "How hard can that be?" I asked.

"Extremely!" Kairi threw her arms up in the air. "I have to find a way to write how much I love Sora in just a few simple words… and I'm not good with the words, and I want it to sound lovely and slightly poetic and… I don't know what to write!"

I shrugged. "Well… why do you have to plan it out? Just say what comes to mind when you get up there."

Kairi rolled her eyes. "You really don't know anything about weddings."

"I warned you." I defended myself.

"Riku… it's my wedding day and I want it all to be perfect." She said. Then, her face lit up, and if there had been a light bulb nearby it would have came on. "Come here." She said, motioning to me with her hands.

I stood from where I was sitting and walked to her. She took both of my hands and looked up at me, a smile on her face. "Okay… if you were getting married to me, what would you say?"

Well if that wasn't just the biggest blow to my heart. _If I were getting married to Kairi_.

I tried not to let anything change in my facial expression, though I'm sure my eyes flashed. I didn't think she noticed. I'd learned to be a lot more controlled and a bit less readable around her lately.

I took a deep breath. "Well… I'd say…"

"No, pretend like we are really at the alter." Kairi said, interrupting me. "Say it like we are really getting married and you've really written vows."

This time I know it showed full on my face, though I believe it probably just came across as confusion. I took a moment to think.

I locked my eyes on hers, my face becoming serious. "Kairi…" I began. "I promise that I will love you for the rest of my life, because it's the only thing I know how to do for you. I'll be there for you, no matter what… no more leaving, I promise you that. But today, right here and now, I know that none of that will matter. Wherever you go, I'll follow you, and you'll never need to question that again." I paused, letting my words linger in the air. Kairi's face had softened.

"I know that everything isn't going to be absolutely perfect… but that will never stop me from trying to make it, because that is what you deserve. Because that is what you are. You're perfect to me." A light smile appeared on my face. "I will never be able to be the same to you, because I'm not perfect… but I try my best to be when I'm around you. Which is how I know." I grasped her hands a little tighter. "Its how I know that this is going to work… because I want to be a better person for you. I've never wanted to better for anyone but you. And that's how I know that I love you. Beyond a shadow of a doubt… and I know shadows, trust me… I love you. And I will always love you. Forever. That's how long I've loved you, and today that will not change. I've loved you since I first spoke to you. And after I say 'I do'… well I'll just be happy that it's the only thing I have to say, because I know I've been rambling." A slight laugh left my lips. I paused, and let my face drop back to serious. "I love you… I mean it."

It was as if I'd rehearsed it, and I promise that I had never practiced saying that. It just came out of my mouth without my consent.

A silence fell over us. Our hands were still together and our eyes were still locked on one another. I realize that we were close… too close. I'd bent over slightly and was looking down on her. I could move my head forward just bit and my forehead would be pressed to hers.

If I had been giving the good kind of cliché life, I would have done that. We would have kissed, and Kairi would realize that she was in love with me and we'd skip happily off into the sunset, or sunrise depending on the movie.

But none of that happened.

"Wow…" Kairi murmured. "That was really beautiful, Riku. I didn't know you could be sentimental like that."

I shrugged, dropping her hands. "It happens." I smiled. "But don't tell, Sora."

She shook her head. "Never." She grinned.

I wanted to say, "I meant every word, Kairi… I'm in love with you." But I didn't. I really wanted to, but cliché's evil hand held me back from opening my mouth to tell her. It wasn't as if I wanted to tell her and expect her to change her mind… I just wanted her to know.

I suppose she never will.

* * *

Part three will be up soon! Hope you enjoyed!

Katie


	3. Part Three

**My Life is a Cliché**

My Life is a Cliché

Here's the third part… enjoy!

* * *

Kairi wrote her vows. Sora wrote his vows, though he didn't ask for my help.

There were no bachelor parties. I never saw the point of them anyways, and Kairi and Sora agreed. Bachelors were single. Kairi and Sora were not single, so what was the point?

The rehearsal dinner went well. I was zoned out for most of it, so I didn't really know what was going on. I refused to speak. I wanted everything I had to say at the wedding to be a surprise. It was nothing big… it was mostly just how much I was happy they were both my friend and how happy I was that they were getting married, and one of those kids better be named after me.

No dramatic speech about their lives. No underlying hints about how much I was in love with Kairi. No big stories about all the things Sora and I did to get her attention when we were younger, because it would just be rubbing salt in my own wound, which, call me crazy, I'd never been too fond of.

It was the night before the wedding. The last night I had to tell Kairi that I loved her. Come tomorrow, and I would never tell her. So what was the point in telling her now? It would change nothing, and it would only make Kairi conflicted about marrying Sora. It was already too late.

That's why I didn't understand things happening during movies where the guy either tells the girl the night before and she goes to marry the other man anyways, then right before she says 'I do' she stops and says that she really loves the other guy. Then there was the dramatic, 'I object!' scenes, where the guy runs in and protest to the marriage, confessing his everlasting love for the bride.

Yay… gumdrops and unicorns… everything ends happily.

Nope. Not for me. It was going to end the way cliché intended it to be. Sora and Kairi getting married, me, Riku, their best friend, in the background, a smile on my face. And that's how it was going to… it just so happens that the smile will be fake.

Not that I wasn't happy for them. They were happy, which was great. It is just that I will not be happy. I'll be miserable for the rest of my life, watching them grow old together and have children. I won't be alone… I'll always have them… but I won't have her.

Cliché. That's what my life is. A cliché… just not the good kind. I get the second. Sidekick turned hero and best friend smiles as hero gets his happy ending.

I'd come to accept my fate, but it wasn't as if I didn't resent it, because I definitely did. There was nothing I could do to change my future and I had to deal with that. This was my future.

Either way, it was the night before the wedding. Tomorrow, Kairi would be Sora's wife, and I would forever be the best friend.

I was at Kairi's house, just sitting on the sofa. It was probably eleven at night, one hour until the big day. Kairi was pacing nervously in front of me.

"What if it doesn't work?" she asked.

"It will work." I responded.

Kairi shook her head. "But what if it _doesn't_?" she pressed.

I sighed. "Kai, it's going to work." I told her. "You and Sora were made for each other."

She stopped and turned to me, her face overflowing with confusion and worry. "How do you know, Riku? How do you know that I'm doing the right thing?"

I smiled lightly. "Do you love him?" I asked. She nodded. "And I know he loves you. He won't stop telling me."

"Sometimes love isn't enough." She argued.

_Tell me something I don't know._ I thought bitterly. But aloud I said, "Kairi… you and Sora are meant for each other. You're the princess and he's the hero. It's the most perfect thing since… cookies!"

Thankfully she laughed, and lost some of that worry and confusion in her expression. "Cookies?" she asked.

I raised my eyebrows. "Come on. Cookies are like… the best thing ever." I grinned. "And I thought it would make you laugh."

"Well it did, so congratulations." She complimented. Sighing, she sat down on the couch, curling up on my chest. Instinctively, I wrapped my arm around her. "I guess I'm getting married tomorrow…"

"I guess so…" I agreed, giving her shoulder a friendly squeeze.

Looking up at me, her face returned to the original worried look. "I'm scared, Riku." She whispered.

I smiled down at her. "Don't be. I'm sure you'll be fine." I encouraged her.

She bit the inside of her cheek. "Not about… being married…," she said shyly.

My eyebrows drew together. "Then about what?" I asked.

Kairi opened her mouth to continue, but stopped. "Never mind… it's stupid." She said, looking away again.

"Hey," I shook her gently. "What? You can tell me anything. What's wrong?"

She took a deep breath. "I'm not scared about being married; I'm scared about what happens afterward." She said in such a rush that I barely understood her.

I raised one eyebrow. "Afterward?" I mused.

She put her palms on her forehead. "I know it's so stupid!" she exclaimed, standing and trying to move away from me.

I sat up and grabbed her elbow gently. "Hey," I said, sitting her back down on the couch. "It's not stupid." I told her. "It's a perfectly logical fear. I can understand why you are afraid…" I paused. "Will it…" I stopped. I didn't want to get too personal about this subject, but, after all, I was her Maid of Honor. "Will it be your first?" I asked awkwardly.

She nodded, oblivious to how uneasy I was feeling about touching on this subject with her. "Yeah…" she whispered. "And that scares me…" She looked at me, her eyes shining with tears. "Will it be Sora's?" she asked.

I bit my lip. There was a night, about five years ago, before Sora and Kairi ever started going out, and Sora was feeling crappy about his relationship status with Kairi. So I took him to a bar, just to buy him a drink or two, and Sora just happened to wander away from me and I wandered away from him. I didn't know that this particular bar was going to be overridden with really good-looking women.

None of them were Kairi, but Sora happened to find a pretty, little redhead who looked like she could be Kairi's sister. He was a little tipsy, but that doesn't excuse his actions. He was sober enough to realize what he was doing.

He told me all about it the next day. I have done a couple things in my life with women that looked like Kairi, but I'd always been unbelievably drunk, and I'd always regretted it the next day. Of course, when I was a senior in high school, I had a few nights… and when I say a few, I mean a lot of nights, where I met up with girls at the school. Granted, I'd still been in love with Kairi, but hell, I was a teenager. Sure, I might have known better, but there has never been a time where I hadn't regretted it the next day.

The worst thing about Sora's little get together with this girl, was that he kept meeting up with her. I even walked in on them once, when Sora and I shared an apartment together. It hadn't been full out yet, thank goodness, but neither had their shirts on, and she'd been working on Sora's pants when I walked in and stopped it. And even after that, he didn't stop with this girl. It took a whole year for him to finally quit. She was like an addiction to him. She looked just like Kairi, and she would actually "love" him.

Well a few weeks after it stopped, Sora asked Kairi out. I was slightly worried about it because I was afraid Sora might go insane if Kairi didn't sleep with him. So even though I promised him I'd stay out of the apartment, I stayed in. I was thankful he didn't even try to do anything. He didn't even come home with her. He dropped her off, and came back. From then on, I stayed out of the apartment when he asked me to.

"Is that a no?" she asked when I didn't respond.

Again, I didn't know what to say. I promised Sora I would never tell her, no matter how much I wanted to.

She nodded. "You don't have to give me details." She said. "I just need a yes or a no."

"No." I said finally. "But it was only ever one girl." Many times, but I preferred to keep that bit of information to myself.

"When?" she pressed.

"Four or five years ago." I told her. "It was before you and he became an item."

Kairi nodded. "Do you know her name? Or is that too much to ask?"

"I don't know her name." I shook my head. "And if I did, I probably wouldn't tell you… wouldn't want you going all Kairi-crazy and kicking her ass."

She grinned. "Well… okay." Then she got a mischievous look on her face. "What about you?" she asked.

I tried to suppress a smile. "With this body and this face?" I asked.

Kairi nodded. "Well that's true." She allowed.

"I'm sure you'll be fine." I assured her, and then caught myself. "Wait… that's not what I meant to say…"

Kairi laughed. "It's okay. I know what you meant."

"You've only ever kissed two boys. That random one you took to the dance that one time, and Sora." I grinned.

"That's what you think." She responded, raising an eyebrow at me. "What do you think I was doing before Sora asked me out?" she asked. "Just sitting around and waiting for him? Ha! With this face and this body?"

"Slut." I told her.

She gaped jokingly at me. "Me? Slut?" she asked. "You're the one that's been sleeping around with multiple women!" she retorted.

"Yeah, and I regretted it every morning afterward." I said. "I've never found a woman who I actually wanted to be with! And normally, all those are taken."

Kairi raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?" she asked. "Like whom?"

I gestured at her. "You, for example." I said. "When we were teenagers, I was in love with you." That was an understatement. "But I knew you and Sora were going to happen, so you were technically unavailable, especially since me and Sora made that pact. We'd both not try anything with you because we both liked you and we didn't want that to ruin our friendship. So… eventually I told Sora I was over you, and that's when he started to make more obvious hints toward you." I grinned, trying to cover up what I had just said. It all slipped before I'd even had time to think about it.

Kairi tilted her head. "You were in love with me?" she asked.

"Well… yeah." I answered.

She nodded. "And you told Sora you were over me?" she continued.

I drew my eyebrows together. "Yes."

Kairi locked her eyes on to mine. "Were you lying?"

Shit. That was probably the worst question she could ever ask me. It was the night before her wedding, and I had to just blow my deepest secret. I had kept up the lie so perfectly so far, and tonight was going to ruin it all.

"No." I lied, trying to get away with it anyways. "Come on, Kai." I said, wrapping my arm around her shoulders, trying to keep it as friendly as possible. "You know that you're like… my sister." I kissed her forehead. "I loved you when I was a teenager. So what? I'm not a teenager _now_. And you're getting married tomorrow. To Sora! You've loved him since we were teenagers!"

"I'm not a teenager now." Kairi said, repeating my earlier words. "And I still love him."

She was trying to trap me. Get me to say something I didn't want to say. Did she know, or was she trying to push me and see if I broke? The problem is… I didn't know what to say to that. How was I supposed to argue the absolute truth?

So I avoided the subject all together.

"I should go see Sora." I said quietly, letting her go. "I'm his Best Man. I should be with him too."

Kairi let me stand to leave, but ran after me and caught me before I got to the door. She grabbed my hand and spun me to face her. "Were you just lying to me?" she asked.

This was all going so wrong! This was not how cliché worked! She wasn't ever supposed to know about me. I'm not even supposed to love her in my cliché life! But I did, and I couldn't stop, no matter how hard I tried, or how drunk I got, or how many women I slept with. Maybe… cliché didn't play a part in my life… maybe it was just in Sora's, and I'd just been living my life according to the way Sora's was supposed to turn out.

Sometimes things go wrong. Because sometimes clichés don't go right. Because this is real life… it's not a movie. There be a lot less pain if this were a movie… I wouldn't love Kairi the way I do.

So I whispered, "Yes."

Leaning up on her tiptoes, she pressed her lips to my cheek and lowered herself back down to look up at me. I stared at her for a moment, and then wrapped my hand around the back of her head, threading my fingers through her hair. I brought her face up, and I kissed her gently.

It was only for a moment, and in that moment, I realized that I did love her. And I couldn't fix it, and it didn't matter what I did. I was going to love her for the rest of my life. She didn't have to love me back, she just had to be happy. But I would never stop being in love with her.

I parted with her, gazing down lovingly at her. Then I realized what I'd just done.

Without a word, I ran from the house. I wasn't going to tell Sora, and I knew she would never tell him either. For two reasons. One, she was getting married to him tomorrow, so there would be no need. And two…

She'd kissed me back.

* * *

Sora wasn't a nervous wreck when I got to him.

"I'm getting married to _Kairi_, Riku." He grinned. "_Kairi_. Why would I be nervous?"

I shrugged, barely able to speak to him, much less look at him without the feeling of overflowing guilt. "I dunno… maybe it's a girl thing." I paused. "So… am I free to go?"

Sora waved me off with a smile still planted firmly on his face. "Sure, sure. Go back to Kairi, since she was such a mess." He suggested.

I shook my head. "Nah, I'll probably just go home. She seemed…" I paused, searching for the right word. "Fine when I left."

Sora shrugged. "Whatever. Do as you please."

So I went home and didn't sleep. I just lay in my bed, staring at the ceiling thinking about Kairi, about the kiss, and about everything in the past few months. Things had changed between Kairi and I… we were closer now, more in tune with the other, better friends… we were more comfortable around each other, if you will. But kissing… right before her wedding day, no less, was just out of line. That was overstepping the boundary.

There was a knock on my door. I prepared myself for a punch in the face if it was Sora. Who else could it be?

I opened the door and Kairi was standing there, fiddling with her hands. She looked up at me shyly. Well, our friendship was shot. "Can I come in?" she asked timidly.

"Yeah, sure." I said, stepping aside to let her in the apartment. Sora was at his parent's house tonight. He'd already moved all of his things out, so the apartment was all mine.

Kairi walked in, only going as far as the couch. I stayed by the door, which I closed gently.

"Why did you tell me?" she whispered.

"Sometimes love isn't enough." I said, repeating her words from earlier.

She turned to face me. "And sometimes it is." She told me. "If you didn't know for certain how I felt, why didn't you say anything?"

I blinked. "Because I made a pact with Sora."

"Well that didn't stop him, did it?" she asked.

"That was after I told him I was over you!" I argued. "Sora honored it, just like I did. Besides, I didn't really think it was _hidden_ until later. I thought all the stuff I did for you when your heart was taken, or all the stupid fights I'd get in with Sora about you was enough to give it away. Apparently not."

Kairi bit her lip. My voice was calm; it was just speaking my thoughts, almost monotone. I'd given enough away tonight. "I… haven't always loved Sora, Riku." She said.

That took me aback. "What?" I asked, needing a repetition of those words.

"I haven't always loved Sora." She repeated. "Once upon a time, I was in love with you. But I guess that doesn't really matter… we were really young… it was before everything that happened. A part of me wants to say I let that go… but another part of me says that I never did." She paused. "Riku… I've always thought that I had to love Sora… because he harbored my heart for me. But maybe… if it had been sooner… I would have realized that I didn't have to love him. I could love you, Riku."

I had taken this too far. "Kairi…" I started, but was abruptly cut off by Kairi's lips on mine.

Instinctively, my arms wrapped around her waist as hers locked around my neck. Her hands ran into my hair and stroked my face as she kissed me. Her body came closer to mine, and I backed into the wall with her pressed against me.

I let my lips move with hers, and my hands scrolled up her body and to the back of her neck. I played with her hair, combing my finger through it as we kissed and she moved ever closer against me.

This felt dirty… it felt wrong… it felt right… it felt pure. Everything inside of my heart screamed at me to continue and let her kiss me and allow myself to kiss her right back. But my mind told me this was wrong. Kairi was getting married to Sora in just a matter of hours, and here I was up against the wall kissing her.

But I continued.

However, when her hands began to lower to my shirt, I froze. I didn't stop her… I just stopped. A few zippers were pulled down before I came to my senses. I took her hands gently away from my chest, and held them tightly in my hands.

Keeping my eyes closed, I whispered. "Kairi… You're getting married tomorrow."

"I'm not married yet, Riku." She told me. "Things can be stopped… can be rearranged."

I shook my head repeatedly, more to convince myself than her. I wanted so badly to let her finish with the zippers, and then let myself do hers. But I physically forced myself not to. "Kairi… no." I said with finality.

"You… love me." She said, caressing my face with her hand. "I know you do."

"And you love Sora." I said back, finally letting my eyes slowly open. I took her shoulders and backed her away from me. "Which is why this is wrong."

Kairi frowned. "Riku… I…"

I pressed my lips to hers for a moment, and had to force myself to back away from her. "Goodnight, Kairi." I whispered, my lips ghosting on top of hers. "I'll see you tomorrow… before the wedding." I put a slight emphasis on the word, then I moved her away from me, and a few paces towards the door.

I opened the door and looked at the ground. She lingered for a moment, then left. If that was my only chance to ever be with her, then I blew it… because I had to.

* * *

Sora was set and ready to go. In just a mere five minutes, Kairi would be walking down the isle and saying 'I do.' I hadn't seen her since the night before. It was almost on purpose, but I knew that Selphie wouldn't want me in the way of getting Kairi's hair and makeup finished.

I was walking her down the isle because her father had died in the Heartless attack years ago. So I said my goodbyes and good lucks to Sora and ran off to the shack just there before the isle.

Kairi was sitting on the bottom floor when I entered. I gave a quick smile to her, and then took the stairs two at a time to the top. Selphie was primping herself and the two other bridesmaids, but mostly herself.

"Riku!" she exclaimed, running to me and immediately touching up my hair. I tried to slap away her hands, but all in vain. "You know when to come out, right?" she asked.

I sighed. "Yes, Selphie." I told her. "When the creepy organ death music of doom starts to play, right?"

"First of all, it's not creepy organ death music of doom. It's the sound of love." She said, holding up a finger. "Two," she put up a second finger. "Yes, that is when you come out."

Then she moved back to finish the other bridesmaids. They had about a minute.

I walked slowly downstairs. Kairi was staring at the wall, her face blank and unreadable. "Hey…" I said. "It's almost time."

Kairi nodded. "Go!" I heard Selphie order from upstairs.

I offered a hand to her. She hesitated, still staring at the wall, and then finally took it. I lead her up to the top in silence. Selphie was the only bridesmaid left. She saw Kairi and winked. "Good luck." She whispered, and exited the shack.

We probably had about a minute before it was time to walk out.

"You look beautiful." I told her, taking both her hands. She turned to face me. "And… I'm sorry… about last night. I really should have kept my mouth shut."

"Riku…" Kairi whispered, scanning a finger down my cheek. "I… I don't want you to be unhappy." She finished.

"I'm not." I smiled. "You're going to be happy with Sora… and… I suppose it's a relief for you to know about my feelings."

Her lips turned up into a ghost of a smile. "I won't ever tell him." She promised.

I nodded. The creepy organ death music of doom started to play. "I love you." I whispered.

She responded by placing one last kiss on my lips.

Then I opened the door, we walked down the isle, and she said, "I do."

There were no pauses before she said it. No professions of her love for me. There wasn't an 'I object!' scene or dramatic entrances and monologues of how I've loved Kairi all my life, and if she married Sora she'd be making the biggest mistake of her life.

No… none of that.

Because in the end… cliché always won.

* * *

Finally finished. This took forever to write. By the way, I've decided to make a sequel to this… it's something that I've been wanting to write for a while.

To be honest, I had _no_ idea how I was going to end this. I guess my biased won out in the end. I couldn't not make it end RikuxKairi in some way… Sorry if anyone seemed out of character. I tried to keep them all in character as best I could, and I'm pretty sure I accomplished that on Riku and Sora's part. Kairi is the only one I'm worried about. But I digress…

There might be a prequel or two as well… I've really enjoyed writing this, so it'll be something that you might see future installments of in the future. So if you enjoyed this, I would keep an eye out of sequels/prequels.

I hope you guys enjoyed reading this!

Katie


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